Thumb-hole-cutting appliance



J. A. STOCK. THUMB HOLE CUTTING APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 31, I9I9.

' Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- INVENTOR Q. W h-% ATTORNEY ,Wb W 1 V: MN/ 3 Z3 w. R h@ Qv R mm I, up w ww Q I r QM 1mm Q w m m i 1' b$ NW NW1 kw 1|: Mum 7, II I ll \w iirrl v! m m Nb J a- I! V 1 NWN I Q Q Q Q 7 a. KW W hm u Rh .N Wm i v 1. A. STOCK. THUMB HOLE CUTTING APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED Die. 31, I919.

IN VEN TOR.

Q/OfM 74-72% A TTORNEY 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

WITNESSES:

UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

James A. STOCK, or CICERO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNUR to w. c. RITCHIE a GOMPAN'Y, or CHICAGO, ILLINoIs, a GORPORA'IIUN or ILLINOIS.

THUMB-HOLE-CUTTING APPLIANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent. itateutmi NOV.

"deli, 1920.

Application filed December 31,1919. Serial no. 348,504.

To aZZ whom it may concern: I

Be it lrnown. that l, demos A. S'rooK, a citizen. of the United States, residing at Cicero, in the county of Cook and State oil Illinois, have invented certain new and use- Il Improvements in "immb-Hole-Cutting specification. I I I lhis invention pertains to machines of simple, ei'licient, and durable construction for providinp, thumb or finger hoies in pasteboard box-covers andthe like, one oi the salient and outstanding cha 'acteristics oi? a dc: rble ph calembodiment of the invention beino: and rapid work automatically consun'lmated.

bluch preferred embodiment otthe invention comprises a structure oi relatwely'iew I reference characters refer to the sameparts In these drawings; I I

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevation of the improved appliance: I I

Fig. 2 is a plan view oi the structure;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged central longitudinal section throu h the head end portion: ofthe sliding shaft and its associatedparts on line 3-3ofllig.2; e I

Fig. 4. is an elevation of the means provided for retaining the row of boxes in proper position and relation; and I Fig. 5 is a cross-section on line 5 501? Egg with the l t Viewedin the direc tlon lndicated by the arr- I By reference to these drawings, it will be seen that the novel appliance may be used asan attachment if desired for a box-cover I making: machine and the frame of such machine hasbecn supplied with the reference character 20. Secured to such frame and outstanding therefrom horizontally is an angle-bar or bracket 21 to the under hori zontal iace oi which athin plate 22 is fas tenecl, the securing meansbeingdesirably slots and bolts 23, 23 permitting adjustjtioned in :front of the box elements capacity for effective ment of the plate crosswise oi? the bar 21. it should be noted that this plate "projects to the lei'toil the element 21 a slight amount, as shownmost clearly in Fig. I3, but less than the width of the flanges or rhns of the bor I covers designed to r at or slide thereon Iitpphances, of which the following is a;

1n order to prevent the box-covers 2? from falling 01d of such relatively-narrow ledge or seat, a horizontal bar 24 is posiubstan- 'tially midway of their height such retain- 111g bar havinga bent portion adjustably secured in a sock t member '25 supported by and 'adjustzdile up and down on a vertical Sit/116L126 upstanding); from the frame 20.

The machine is designed and intended to remove substantially semi-circular pieces from the top and bottom horizontally-disposed flanges oi the cover, leaving alined or registering similarly-shaped thumb or fingel" apertures 28 illustratedin Fig. 2.

TheangleI-bar or bracket 21 also has another plate 29 secured to its under face on whicha relatively-short angle-bar guide 30 isvadjustably fastened by screw or bolt and slot connections 31, 31 whereby a chute or passage of the proper width for the I boxcovers is formed between the parallel upstanding flanges of the opposed members 21 and 30. I

In order to impose suitable resistance on the row of covers 27 to maintain them in proper positlon or relation and to hold them down on their supporting members, the verticalflange of the element 21 has an u stand ing rod 32 secured to itsouter face by means screw 35, the lower endof the bracket carrying a leaf-spring 36 secured thereto by suitable screws 37, 37, thelower curved end of such spring beinr adapted to ride or press on the upper faces of the top flanges of the box elements "which passFsidewise through the channel between the parts 21 and 30.

Asfis clearly shown, these box-covers abut I ting against one another are mused to travel or move intermittently with their heads bearing againstthe let'tdiand face of the vertical flange of the angle-bar 21 the means for interruptedl pushing the boxes along); not

I being shown 1n the drawings.

Two alined bearings 38 and39 are adjustably secured by screwand slot connec 'tions 40 41 on the frame 20 and a shaft 42 is slidalole in such bearings and is encircled by a coil-spring 43 hearing at one end against a collar 44 loose on the shaft and pressing against the right-hand face of bearing 38 and against a collar 45 adjustably fixed, to and movable with the shaft, such stop-collar 45 when engaging the adjacent face of the bearing 39 limiting-the travel of the shaft and the parts which it carries to the right.

The right-hand end of the cylindrical shaft 42 has a squared portion 46 on which is fixedly mounted a rectangular plate 47 provided with a plurality 'of' vertical slots 48 (F ig.. 5) accommodating screws 49 by means offwhich two vertically-spaced blocks 50 and51 are adj ustably mounted on the supporting member 4?. ,The bifurcated part 52 of'the block 50 has a U-shaped shear-plate 53 fastened to'its upper face, such plate between its legs havinga space terminating in a rounded portion 54 conforming to the shape of the piece of pastboard to be cut out of the uppermost flange of the box-cover. In

similar manner the bifurcated section 55 of the lower member 51 has fastened to its underface a like U-shaped shear-plate 56.

Between the walls of the element 50 a:

slidable on" and supported by the reciprocatory shaft-44 and between the supportingp'late 46and1the adjacent end of the sieeve, a coil-spring {YO-is interposed, wh ch surroundsorencircles the shaft 42, as is clearly illustrated. V V V I In order to reciprocate'this sleeve, a suitably-driven cam 71 is employed which op- .erates a bell-crank '72 fulcrumed at 73, the

upright-arm of such bent lever having an arm 7 5 pivoted thereon at 74 and'the upper jendofthebellcrank"lever has two lateral extensions 76,-f76'on opposite si les' of he arm 75and-cquipped with opposed screws 77,177 adapted to'bear on opposite edges of and 7 5. {T he upperend of the element 75 bifurcated to straddlethe shaft4i, and 0 cu the arm 75, thus providinga simple means,

of angular adjustment between the pa (2 of these spaced, portions '5' 8 is slotted for the reception of anangular block 79 swiveled on thershaft at 80, thus providing for the necessary relative j movement between the ting operation.

parts to enable the bell-crank to reciprocate the shaft.

The operation of the appliance occurs substantially as follows:

The pasteboard b0); elements or flanged covers 27, by means, not shown, are advanced intermittently or step by step in a straight row bearing cdgewise end to end against one another with their heads slidiug on the vertical face of the angle-track or bracket 21, the flanges or rims of such covers projecting to the left, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The purpose of this construction being to simultaneously cut out or remove practically semi-circular or other suitably-shaped sections from the edge portions of the upper and lower horizontal flanges or rim sections of the covers in succession as they are fed in series into the field of action of the cutters and while they are temporarily or momentarily si'iationai v at the proper moment, the cam Tl feeds the sleeve 69 to the right, and, under the expanding action of spring 43, the shaft 42 and the parts which it carries slide to the right until such movement is arrested or stopped by the engagement of collar 45 with the adjacent face of the stationary shaft-bearing 39. When this occurs, the shear-plates 513 and 5G and their supports will have been inserted the proper amount in the box-cover *2? in register therewith, as is clearly illustrated in Fig. 3, such cutter plates and their supporting arms straddling or lying on opposite sides of the box-element retaining-bar 24. These shear plates, as is fully shown in Fig. are then located just below the top flange of the cover and just above its bottom flange and are in such position that they constitute bracing or backing means for such flanges or rim sections during the cut- Sleeve 59 continues its slid ing movement to the right after the 008511 tion of travel of the shaft, causing the compression of spring '70 between itself and the now immovable plate This relative movement between the elements 69 and 4.7 through the instrumcntality of the curved links and 66 effects the roclring of the pair of members 57 and 5S and their cutter plates or blades 59 and 60 into coiipcrativc action with the parts and 56, therein cutting out or removing the marginal semi-(in cnlar pieces, leaving the opposite thumb or finger holes or recesses 28, 28 which. in the use of the completed box, facilitate lhr removal of such cover 1110111 its associated boxbody or so-called box-tray, not shown.

As soon as this cutting function has been completed, the cam causes the retract" sleeve 69.

For a while, the shaft 42 and the "plate 4'? under the expanding action of spring remain stationary, whereby such travel of the sleeve merely preliminarily separates the rock-arms 57 and 58. When,

on of however, the rear faces of the parts 57 and 58 engage the plates or brackets 50 and 51, further movement of the sleeveto the left, by its action through such arms and their operating links, forces the shaft to the left,

against the action of spring 43, the collar 4:5 moving back out of, contact with the abutment bearing 39. Thus, all of the parts are retracted or held baclr by reason of the action of the; cam directly on the sleeve and the action of the latter through the curved.

links, roclcarms, and brackets on the shaft.

When: the reciprocating elements have backed away suiiiciently from the row of box-covers, these advance another step, carrying the cover just operated upon out of the way, and bringing the next uncut box into register or alinement withthe cutting mechanism, Thus, the machine operates continuously, requiring practically no attention on the part of the operator, sincethis attachment is supplied automatically with illustrated and described, since these are presented by way of example only, and are susceptible of wide changes. It will be appreciated, therefore, that the invention is capable of a variety of embodiments differing more or less in structural characteristics, but all incorporating the fundamental or underlying principles of structure and 0p eratiou, without departure from the substance of the invention and without the sacriflce of any of its practical benefits and advantages.

I claim:

1. In a cutting appliance of the character described, the combination of a pair of bearings, a shaft slidably mounted in said bear- 'ng encircling said shaft, a collar ,Vshait acted upon by said spring and adapted to limit the movement of the shaft toward the work, a support carried by said shaft, a pair of shear members, blocks on which said shear members are mounted adjustable on said support toward and from one another to enable the shear members to be positioned apart a distance conforming to the corresponding internal dimensions of the box-covers operated. upon, cutters adapted to 'co-act with said shear members pivoted on said adjustable blocks, links connected to said cutters, a sleeve slidable on said shaft to which said links are pivoted,

a springencircling saidshaft between said support and sleeve, and cam. operated means to reciprocate said sleeve, substantially as described.

2. Ina cutting applianceof the character described, the combination of a slidinglymounted shaft, means to press said shat t toward the work, means to limit the more: meat of the sha'tt in such direction, a support carried by said shaft, a pair of shear members, means permitting adjustment of said members toward and from one another on said support to e able them to be positioned'apart a distance conforming to the corresponding dimension of the box-covers operated upon, cutters adapted to co--act with said shear inen'ibers pivoted on the ad j usta-ble mountin of the latter, and means tooperzite said cuttersand shaft, substantially as described.

,3. In, a, cutting appliance of the character described, the combination of a support, a pairof bracing members fixed to but adj 11stable toward and from one another on said support to conform to the corresponding dimension of the box-covers to be operated upon, cutters on and adjustable with said bracing means co-acting with said bracing means to remove portions of the opposite rim sections of a series of box-covers in succession, and means to slide said bracing members to cause them to be brought into and out of cooperative relation with said rim sections and to actuate said cutters, substan tially as described.

4;. In a cutting appliance of the character described, the combination of a support, a

justable toward and from one another on said support to conform to the corresponding dimension of the box-covers to be operated upon, a cutter for and co-acting with each of said bracing members adapted to remove portions of the opposite rim sections of a series of box-covers in succession, and means to slide said support and bracing members to cause them to be brought into and out of cooperative relation with said rim sections and to actuate said cutters, substantially as described.

5. In a thumb hole cutting appliance of the character described, the combinationof a slidingly-mounted shaft, means to press said shaft toward the work, means to limit the movement of the shaft in such direction, a support carried by the shaft, a shear-memher on said support adapted to he slid thereby into the box element to be provided with the thumb hole, a cutter adapted to co-act with'said shear-member movably mounted on said support, and means to actuate said cutter and control the reciprocation of said shaft, substantially as described.

6. In a thumb-hole cutting appliance of the character described,"the combination of i, ll

a pair of bracing members fixed to but ad- ,actvvith said shear-members pivoted on said support, and means to rock said Cutters and controlling the reciprocation of the shaft,

7 substantially as described.

7. In an appliance of the character described, the combination of means normally fixed With relation to one another to enter a box-cover and be positioned adjacent to its opposite walls, means to reciprocate said means, and means'to simultaneously cut out holes in said opposite Walls, said entering means having recesses for'the accommodation of said cutting means, substantially as described. 1

8. In an appliance'of the character described,rthe combination of means normally fixed with relation to one another to enter a box-cover and be positioned ad acent to its opposite Walls, means to reciprocate said means, and means to simultaneously out out iinger holes in said opposite walls, substantially as described.

9. In a cutting appliance of the character described, the combination of b 'acing means adapted to bear against a face of the rim of a pasteboard box-cover, means to slide said bracing means to cause it to be brought into and out 01" cooperative relation with a to slide said member to shift it into and out of cooperative relation with a series of boxcovers in succession, a cutter shaped to .0011- "form to said shear member to remove sections or the rim of each box-cover to provide a linger recess, and means to actuate said cutter, substantially as described.

JULIUS A. STOCK. 

